CAA's have a dual role which is a proven conflict of interest. They have to police the operational & safety culture of the airlines AND they have to monitor the commercial viability of the airlines; AND their major source of income is those same airlines. I've always had the opinion that FTL's have expanded in all directions, and grown flexible warts, to match the performance of the aircraft over the years and remain as 2 crew. The only reason that has happened is because the airlines have lobbied for it. When B707 flew 10hrs that was enough duty time. Now with >15hr a/c, or 6hr out & return holiday flights, the only way they are commercially viable is for 2 crew to perform them. FTL's had to be elastic. I've been the victim of airline lobbying the local CAA (in 3 different countries) to grant dispensations for the financial health of the company. No crew stop overs, but out & backs; or extended FTL's to make long single sector 2 crew ops. Every time it was granted with no consultation with the crews. Only the legacy carriers with unions were exempt. They put on heavy crews with proper rest facilities. I find it a scandal that it is a union who insists on rest areas and not the CAA's. I also find it a scandal that the national pilots' union does not make such provision an industry standard, rather than company specific. No national union I know has had the industry as a whole at heart, other than perhaps on some technical matters. Shame on them all, CAA's as well.